Experts of Experience

What happens when a fast-growing company completely rethinks how it delivers customer experience — from the inside out? Lacey Peace sits down with Phil Parbury, Service Manager at TOMRA Collection Australia, to unpack one of the most seamless and high-impact digital transformations we’ve seen in CX ops.Phil takes us behind the scenes of a tech overhaul that reduced dozens of disconnected systems to one integrated solution, boosted technician response time by 26%, and achieved a first-time fix rate of over 99% — all while keeping humans at the center of an AI-assisted workforce.Whether you're leading a digital transformation, scaling CX operations, or just nerding out over smart logistics, this episode is packed with actionable insights — and yes, it features a very charming Aussie accent. 🇦🇺👉 Tune in to hear how Phil’s team is future-proofing CX from the inside out.Key Moments:00:00 - The Power of Predictive AI in Customer Experience01:25 - What Are Reverse Vending Machines?05:23 - Phil’s Engineering Background & Career Path07:38 - Scaling Pains: Early Operational Challenges at TOMRA15:17 - Streamlining Tech: From 26 Tools to One Unified System21:39 - How AI Optimizes Field Technician Dispatching23:56 - Real-Time Monitoring & Keeping Machines Online25:20 - Performance Metrics: 26% Faster Response, 99% First-Time Fix28:11 - What’s Next: Planning for Predictive Maintenance32:01 - Personalization, AI Agents & Changing Customer Expectations35:45 - Training Humans to Work with AI: Empowering Support Teams43:02 - Reddit Question: What Tools Actually Improve CX? –Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it take to build a brand that resonates across cultures… not just across markets? In this special dual-guest episode, Lacey Peace sits down with Nataly Kelly, Chief Marketing Officer at Zappi, and Katherine Melchior Ray, UC Berkeley lecturer and former executive at brands like Nike, Hyatt, and Louis Vuitton. Together, they co-authored the new book Brand Global, Adapt Local: How to Build Brand Value Across Cultures and they’re here to share the lessons learned from decades of global brand-building. Nataly and Katherine dive deep into why cultural intelligence is the most under-leveraged skill in modern CX, why brands that ignore cultural context are building in globalization debt, and how something as simple as a melon can repair — or ruin — customer trust. They explain the importance of shared values, the risks of applying the same CX metrics globally (spoiler: NPS doesn’t mean the same thing in every country), and how AI is both accelerating and complicating cross-cultural brand connection. From real stories about Kit Kat’s flavor strategy in Japan to awkward CX blunders in global grocery stores, this episode is packed with tangible takeaways and perspective shifts for any business looking to scale with humanity and intention. Get your copy of Brand Global, Adapt Local: How to Build Brand Value Across Cultures now! https://www.amazon.com/Brand-Global-Adapt-Local-Cultures/dp/139861971X Key Moments: 00:00 Do Customer Service Expectations Differ Across Cultures?06:03 Why Cultural Intelligence Is Crucial for Global Business07:04 Co-Authors’ Nataly Kelly & Katherine Melchior Ray’s Meet cute 15:18 Real-Life Cultural Missteps and Surprising Service Norms24:13 Can AI Replace Cultural Insight? Why Human Context Still Matters34:38 What’s at Stake When You Ignore Cultural Differences38:23 Globalization Strategy: Why Flexibility Beats Uniformity39:09 How Cultural Agility Builds Better Customer Experiences40:34 Style Switching & Cultural Intelligence in Leadership42:18 Kit Kat’s Local Flavors & HubSpot’s Global CX51:01 How Tech Adoption Varies by Country (And Why It Matters)55:12 Daily Habits That Boost Strategic Thinking & Creativity01:00:24 How AI Is Changing Global Marketing and Customer Experience01:15:46 Final Leadership Lessons on Trust, Culture & Global Growth –Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lauren Pufpaf, COO and Co-Founder of Feed Media, joins us to explore how music is far more than just background noise — it’s a potent driver of customer emotion, behavior, and loyalty. Lauren reveals how brands like American Eagle and fitness platforms are using curated music to create “sticky” digital experiences that boost engagement and conversions. The conversation dives into the neuroscience behind why music works so effectively in CX and how the right sound strategy can elevate everything from retail apps to telehealth waiting rooms. Hit play and discover how your brand might be missing out on a powerful emotional trigger.🎧 Listen to the full episode now and learn how to tune your brand into what your customers are really feeling.Key Moments: 00:00 Music’s Role in the Digital Customer Journey07:32 Inside Feed Media Group with COO Lauren Pufpaf11:29 How Music Hacks the Brain: Science Meets CX20:55 Music Licensing Explained (And Why It’s So Complicated)24:31 From Stores to Screens: Music in Retail and E-Commerce34:31 AI in Music: Smarter Curation, Deeper Connections40:12 Creating a Music Strategy That Fits Your Brand57:30 How Music is Transforming Healthcare Settings59:10 Lightening Round: Customer Experience that Sticks –Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What do a superhero named Captain Rochester, a bold business trip to Brazil, and AI-powered sales have in common? Lacey sits down with Colin Strother, Executive Vice President at Rochester Electronics, to explore how a human-first approach is transforming digital transformation. Colin shares his leadership philosophy around shifting from traditional B2B to P2P — person-to-person — emphasizing the power of authentic customer relationships in a global, tech-driven landscape. From AI agents and guided selling to hyper-personalization and seamless cross-functional collaboration, Colin details how Rochester is building scalable, trust-centered systems that keep people at the core. Tune in to hear how decades of leadership, a global outlook, and a bold trip to Brazil helped shape Rochester’s future… and why the real key to innovation might be as simple as staying human in a high-tech world. Key Moments: 00:00: P2P, Global CX, and Hyper-Personalization at Scale05:55 Introducing Colin Strother, EVP at Rochester Electronics09:55 Keys to Global Customer Engagement14:07 Implementing P2P and Unified Commerce19:47 AI and Digital Transformation at Rochester36:34 Building Trust in Change Management39:41 Adopting Slack for Business Efficiency45:48 Navigating Data Integration 53:14 Hyper-Personalization at Scale01:01:26 Leadership and Authenticity at Rochester Electronics –Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens to marketing when AI controls the entire purchase funnel?Steven Van Belleghem, global CX thought leader, keynote speaker, and author, joins us to unpack how AI isn’t just changing workflows, it’s rapidly transforming customer decision-making itself.Uncover how customer expectations are shifting, how brands can prepare for AI-powered shopping assistants, and why the brands of the future must be search-visible, review-backed, and emotionally resonant. Steven warns that most companies are only focused on internal AI efficiencies… while ignoring how customer journeys are being upended in real time.We also explore his framework for “The Offer You Can’t Refuse,” why authenticity is overrated, and what a 1% human experience should look like when everything else is automated. If you're a CX leader, marketer, or executive wondering what to do when the funnel disappears and your customers outsource their decisions to algorithms—this is the conversation you can't afford to miss. Key Moments:00:00 The Rise of LLMs in Search and Their Impact04:29 Introducing Steven Van Belleghem, CX Expert, Author, and Keynote Speaker07:22 Steven's Journey: From Family Business to AI Expert13:22 The Future of AI in Customer Experience and Branding34:55 Steven’s Four Pillars of Success37:26 Examples of European Companies Excelling in Customer Experience40:12 The Power of Small Changes in Customer Experience46:51 Authenticity vs. Artificial Experiences51:49 The Impact of AI on Customer Experience55:10 Leadership's Role in Customer-Centric Culture01:02:06 Lightning Round: Steven’s Personal Inspirations and Advice –Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if the secret to standout marketing wasn’t found in a campaign, but in a customer service moment?Lacey Peace sits down with Geoff Ramm — international keynote speaker and author of Celebrity Service — to explore how the best marketing tomorrow starts with exceptional service today.From Jedi-costumed taxi drivers to viral hospitality wins, Geoff shares real-world stories that reveal how unexpected, personalized touches can elevate a brand beyond "five-star service" into unforgettable.But Geoff doesn’t just inspire — he equips. Learn his five-word strategy for creating a culture of “celebrity service,” how a spontaneous question on stage sparked a 20-year philosophy, and why AI should handle the mundane so your team can deliver the magical. Key Moments: 01:19: How Marriott Turned a Lost Toy Into a Viral CX Win05:15: Meet Geoff Ramm: The Mind Behind “Celebrity Service”14:48: Where “Celebrity Service” Began: A Moment That Changed Everything27:47: How to Implement Celebrity-Level Customer Experience29:22: Why Most CX Fails: The Time Commitment Gap30:18: Designing a Visual Space That Fuels CX Innovation32:44: The 120-Second Challenge: A Proven Method for Fresh CX Ideas37:16: From Brainstorm to Buy-In: Turning Ideas Into Action38:12: Driving Team Engagement Through Recognition & Ownership40:03: CX That Converts: Case Studies from Avon, IHG & More54:25: Personalized CX That Sticks: Geoff’s Most Powerful Stories –Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

“Brand is the promise, the experience is the reality.” This week, Lacey Peace sits down with Abhii Parakh, Head of Customer Experience at Prudential Financial, to unpack exactly how the 150 year old legacy brand created a scalable culture of empathy, innovation, and action. From defining what CX really means to implementing belief-driven rituals and artifacts, Abhii shares a behind-the-scenes look at Prudential’s remarkable shift.You’ll hear how Prudential turned feedback from a single paper-fatigued customer into a multi-year digital transformation, why they built a champion network of 100+ internal customer advocates, and how they're blending human insight with emerging AI technologies to drive predictive customer experiences. This isn’t about generic platitudes — it’s about measurable change, internal momentum, and leadership buy-in.If you're leading CX at scale, battling organizational silos, or just wondering how to make customer experience more than a department, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for. Subscribe for more insider conversations with the most customer-obsessed minds in business. Key Moments: 00:00 Who is Abhii Parakh, CSM at Prudential?04:56 Building a Customer-Centric Culture10:19 Scaling Customer Experience Globally13:58 Three Elements of Culture: Artifacts, Rituals & Beliefs28:05 Impact of Predictive Analytics & Debunking NPS35:22 Adopting AI at Prudential: Challenges, Success & Predictions45:23 The Difference Between Generative AI & Agentic AI 50:27 Future of AI and Ethical Considerations –Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it really take to build an AI-powered customer experience from the ground up?Lacey Peace sits down with Katie Bianchi, Chief Customer Officer at Palo Alto Networks, to unpack how her team rebuilt support systems for the AI era — eliminating handoffs, reducing resolution time by over 40%, and transforming how their teams work.Katie walks through their phased AI implementation strategy, from data unification and process re-architecture to training internal copilots capable of diagnosing the most complex cases. She shares why tight alignment between product, IT, and customer success is now a non-negotiable, and how empowering frontline employees to lead experimentation created real transformation.Plus, Katie gets candid about what she would’ve done differently, why NPS might be obsolete, and how AI is becoming the operating system for work itself. Whether you're navigating digital transformation or trying to unite siloed teams, this episode offers a clear, tactical, and deeply human roadmap to scaling customer experience in the age of AI. Key Moments:00:00 Meet AI-Expert Katie Bianchi, CCO at Palo Alto Networks01:31 Why Dirty Data Is Killing Your AI Strategy02:46 AI Adoption Starts with Empowered Employees06:49 Joining a Cybersecurity Giant During Peak Disruption08:41 Step-by-Step: How Palo Alto Networks Rolled Out AI14:17 Building a Culture of Rapid Experimentation21:50 What AI Agents Can Do in Tech Support Right Now23:12 What We’d Do Differently: Lessons from the Frontlines of AI25:47 End-to-End Automation: Connecting Pre- and Post-Sales27:38 Smarter CX: Turning Data Into Actionable Insights36:41 Rethinking Metrics: How to Measure AI’s Real Impact39:17 From Reactive to Proactive: Real AI Customer Wins41:26 AI as Your New Operating System: What’s Next –Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.